Review of Wargames (1962) by Cody H — 20 Sep 2012

While certain parts of this movie are quite dated the message stands is still relevant. Computers will only do what we tell them to do and we need to be very careful what we design them to do. It has a solid science fiction concept where a computer learns by assessing multiple strategies and selects the most certain route to win in anything from chess to thermonuclear war.

How the story gets executed is not as sophisticated though. Mathew Broderick and Ally Sheedy accidentally stumble into the defense strategy computer all too easily and begin to play around not knowing what they are actually doing.

This route is a too playful at times killing the suspense they are attempting to build. Buffoon military characters, teen puppy love, and the little one-liners do not fit the tense situation, and only distract from what is important.

I praise the movie for establishing a solid background of the programmer of this super computer and being consistent with the logic and rules the computer program. It appeals a little more to younger audiences, but it has a solid sci-fi concept that stands up over time and continues to be a fun watch.